What Does Repression Psychology Mean?

Repression is a common theme in psychology, especially in psychoanalysis. The idea that memories that we can’t remember control our actions is interesting and terrifying. In this post, we dive into the world of repression. What is it? How are memories repressed? Let’s find out.

What is repression?

Repression is the idea that bad memories can be sent to the unconscious mind, making them hard to remember, but their impact still affects your behavior. For example, if one was abused as a child, they might be less trusting of people later in life.

Repression is a big theme in psychoanalysis, a theory of psychology based on Freud. Repression is considered a defense mechanism one uses to block out bad memories.

History of repression

Many of the themes found in psychoanalysis begin with Sigmund Freud. Freud tried to make his patients remember past events, but patients found it challenging. Seeing so many patients have trouble recalling their past caused Freud to believe that something must be blocking their ability to recall their memories. He called this force repression. Freud considered repression to be one of the foundations of psychoanalysis. The idea that memories need to be recalled is something you see in many depictions of psychoanalysis.

In modern times, repression is a bit controversial as a concept. We will discuss more on that in a bit. 

How are repressed memories recalled?

Repressed memories can be recovered, in theory, through therapy. Some therapists can help the client recover their memories through talk therapy. Conversations can lead to the person recalling their memories, and they may discover they have some hidden trauma they’ve kept repressed.

Another way repressed memories could be recovered is through hypnosis. The idea is that hypnotism can alter the conscious mind, and a person’s memories can become easier to approach.

However, under hypnosis, the mind is also more imaginative. The memories someone tells you could also be a product of their imagination; there’s no way someone can prove if those memories happened. This begs the question:

Is repression real?

While many of Freud’s theories were important in psychology development as we know it today, many of his ideas were flawed and had been challenged, including repression. While there hasn’t been a definitive yes or no answer, much debate exists about whether repression exists and how often it happens.

One of the most popular theories is that repression does happen, but rarely and that it is not as common as Freud made it out to be. However, various psychologists have claimed that they have made their clients remember memories that have been repressed. So, what is the truth?

It’s hard to say for sure. No one can dive into someone’s mind and see how they store their memories. This has made it hard to study repression; thus, there has been a lack of scientific studies to support or disprove it.

There have been a few studies, however. One surveyed various therapists about the idea of repression. The responses they got indicated that although there has been skepticism for repression, the majority of therapists polled believed in repression. The general public themselves believes that repression is real.

Repression testimony

Witness testimony is key in a court case, and there have been cases of people using their supposed repressed memories to help indict the culprit. For example, in abuse cases, someone who has repressed memories retrieved may use them to indict someone.

The problem comes when a child, now an adult, uses their repressed memories to indict someone or accuse them, and the other party denies it. This tension damages the family, and the accused may feel like they’re being victimized. Did the person who supposedly recalls these repressed memories misremember? Is the accused person lying? It’s hard to say. Memories are fickle, and it’s easy to misremember events or false memories.

Repressed memories have been used to solve murder cases as well. In the case of Eileen Franklin in 1990, Franklin remembered a memory from age 8. In the memory, her father had sexually assaulted and killed her friend, and Eileen witnessed it. Her father then threatened to kill Eileen if she said anything. Her memory was the critical piece of evidence. There was other evidence as well, but Eileen’s recollection of the events was the key.

Later, there were doubts about the reliability of these memories and how the trial was handled. It was revealed that Eileen was hypnotized into believing those memories, despite denying them. In 1996, her father was freed due to the lack of evidence.

Ultimately, one can’t prove whether or not someone’s repressed memory is real. It could be, or the memory could be fabricated. We can’t travel back in time to the event they remember and see if it went down how they remembered it. That’s why other evidence is vital in a case. However, if the only evidence is someone’s memory, does that mean the case isn’t reliable? It’s hard to say.

If you have memories that are affecting you, therapy can help

Repression is interesting to study, but it’s hard to tell how true it is. As we keep studying how the brain works, we may one day find the answer.

If you have memories affecting how you live your life, therapy can help you work through them so they stop holding you back. If you are ready to talk to someone, consider online treatment. With online therapy, you don’t have to worry about commuting to an office or being on a waiting list. When you sign up, you’re matched with someone available to start helping you right away, and you can attend sessions from your home, or anywhere you have an internet connection. Research shows that online treatment is effective, too. One review of 14 studies found that online treatment was just as effective as in-person treatment. If you’re ready to take the next step, contact a therapist to get started.

Takeaway

While repressed memories are controversial, memories can impact your everyday life. If you have memories affecting you and need help working through them, online therapy can help.